Brooklyn Brawlin’ 11.12.08: Building a Haas of Fire in WWE

Welcome back. Boy a lot happens in a week huh? We have a new President elect, and what is the fuss about this guy? Is there something different about him? I don’t know, well anyway it was certainly enough of that Bush guy, so huzzah to democracy. To borrow from Lance Storm, allow me to be serious for a moment: There was a time not too long ago, where Blacks and other minorities were also held back in wrestling. Growing up in the early 1980’s the stereotypes were obvious for black wrestlers. Hard Heads! The late SD Jones, Junkyard Dog, Bobo Brazil, etc. I remember thinking it was a bit wrong when Ted Dibiase debuted Virgil as his “bodyguard.” Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas became the first African-Americans to win championships in a major company in the early 80s, and it was not until 1992 when Ron Simmons became the first African-American to become a World Champion. Since then, we have had the Rock, Booker, and a wealth of great minority wrestlers throughout the US wrestling landscape. The world of wrestling can relate to the long struggle for equality amongst the races, and Barack Obama will serve as an inspiration to all, regardless of whether or not you voted for him.

A banner week for America was also a great week of wrestling. TNA’s Turning Point ppv was Sunday night and as I expected we had a Main Event Mafia clean sweep. This was great as all great long angles begin with heel domination. For example here, look at the Horsemen, NWO, and Evolution; all had their sweeps. The important thing is the follow up and thats where the NWO fucked up and ended up killing WCW. Heels dominate for awhile, but the faces must always end up on top. Hogan and Company never got that. And yes, I know Nash, Sting, Booker, and Steiner were there for the death of WCW, but I for one actually believe they are older and wiser now, and will do the right thing when the time is right. Joe, AJ, the Guns etc will inevitably get there revenge, hopefully down the line at Lockdown.

Rock/Triple H Ironman Match –

I want to quickly discuss this as some readers commented on me calling this match “over-rated.” First of all, I think we all understand as wrestling fans that match ratings are as subjective as movie reviews, music tastes or anything else. I have often loved matches people hated, and hated matches people loved. The above mentioned match I liked a lot. But over the years wrestling fans have dubbed it “the best Ironman match ever” or a 5 star match, and while I think it is a great 4 star match, there are some things about it I didn’t like. First off, there were a lot of falls with some very strange finishes. I know being an Ironman match, going 60 minutes, wrestlers are tired and more falls can happen, but a sleeper? Really? In the year 2000? A sleeper? Other falls happened on DDTs and a piledriver, moves that weren’t used as finishers in wrestling for a while. Again it was an Ironman match so, it was okay, just struck me as odd. Secondly, the ending was TERRIBLE! Yes, it was the return of the Undertaker after a long absence as Biker Taker, but after 60 minutes, a match ends with a gang beatdown, tons of interference, and a DQ! C’mon, DQ! The final issue for me is simply put, it followed the Backlash match between Rock and Hunter. That was their quintessential match in their great feud.

Raw Thoughts –

Raw was in England last night and I for one am disappointed. The Era of the Honk-a-Meter is over. Frankly, I don’t get it. They put a lot of effort Santino’s mini-push, gave him the mic time and the Honk-a-Meter gimmick, and they end it in 2 minutes for a hometown pop for William Regal? I really hope if nothing else, this is the continuation of Regal’s pre-Wellness suspension as he was on fire as GM and King of the Ring. And with Jeff Hardy getting continued pushes on Smackdown, maybe Regal is getting yet another chance. His pairing with Layla is a good move, and that would be push enough for me.

Jericho and Michaels again… phenomenal! Someone in WWE Video, put the entire feud on DVD and sell it NOW! Plus, the booking was great as it segues right into the JBL/HBK feud which brings back the class Survivor Series Elimination Matches of the past. This should set up HBK, Batista, Punk, Kofi and one other (Rey maybe) against JBL, Orton, Priceless and Manu. I like that Stephanie also held off Batista’s rematch and mandated Cena/Jericho for the Title. I think the time would be right for a Batista heel turn as he would be justified in being angry. After all, he beats Jericho and Jericho gets an instant rematch, and then he is denied his after a title loss. Plus he beat Cena clean as a sheet at Summerslam, so what did Cena do to earn his title shot in the first place?

Charlie Haas – Wrestler vs. Comedy Act

The crux of the article this week is Charlie Haas, and trying to rebuild him from the depths of comedy mid-carder. We start with the build to Survivor Series. HBK is recruiting wrestlers for his Elimination match against Team JBL. He gets Batista, Punk and Kofi Kingston and is looking for a 5th man when he is approached by Charlie Haas. Haas tells Michaels that he has been looking for revenge against JBL for over a month as all different personas. He knows he can help and wants in to Team HBK. HBK tells him he needs someone who is going to be deadly serious and not just goof around and he tells Haas “No.” Haas tells Michaels, he gets it, and wants to prove himself tonight. Haas faces Snitsky later on Raw and wins a rollup after Snitsky missed a boot. Michaels says he will consider letting Haas on his team. Next week JBL tags with his partner Randy Orton against Michaels and Batista. Batista is attacked back stage by Priceless and Manu and Haas comes out to offer his services to Michaels. In the tag match, JBL goes for the Clothesline from Hell but Haas ducks and rolls up JBL for the surprise pin. After Team JBL (Priceless, Manu, Orton and JBL) beatdown Haas and HBK until Batista, Punk and Kofi run them off. Haas asks in the back if he is definitely on the team and Michaels says OK, but he has to stay serious.

We get to Survivor Series and HBK, Batista, Punk and Kofi are in the ring. Suddenly Motorhead starts blasting throughout the arena and out walks TRIPLE HAAS!!! The heels are laughing and Michaels is shaking his head in disgust. He comes out with complete water-spit and pose and gets in the ring and BOOM, Shawn hits him with Sweet Chin Music. Batista, Punk and Kofi are stunned but Shawn is pissed. JBL jumps down and pins Haas to start the match. Orton survives for his team in the end.

On Raw, Shawn’s music hits and out walks HAAS BK! He beats Santino with Sweet Haas Music. Shawn comes down and gives him a public bitching the way Flair gave to Carlito years back. Shawn questions his dedication, and tells him to go find a circus if that’s what he wants. Haas says he was just trying to entertain the fans the way Shawn has done for years. Michaels says he remembers thinking Haas could be great when he was in TWGTT with Shelton but he guesses he was wrong. Haas says he will prove Shawn wrong.

JBL and Michaels continue there feud building to a match at Armageddon. Haas tells HBK to watch because he is challenging JBL tonight. JBL is out first and then comes The Ultimate HAAS-ier. He runs wild and then gets beaten by the Clothesline from Hell. JBL calls out Michaels and delivers another Clothesline to Haas. MIchaels charges down and brawls with JBL, sending him out and standing over Haas. He helps Haas up but then walks away angrily. At Armageddon, the ref gets KO’d and JBL goes to get a chair. Haas runs down and grabs chair away distracting JBL and opening him up for SWEET CHIN MUSIC and MIchaels gets the win. Haas comes in and celebrates with Michaels who finally nods at Haas.

On Raw JBL is livid and demands to face Haas again. Stephanie tells him to relax and go to the ring. Once in the ring, out comes “NO CHANCE IN HELL” HAAS McMahon complete with strut. JBL tells him to stop embarrassing himself and just give up. Haas says there’s “no chance in hell” he will give up. He wants to entertain the fans and be a WWE superstar and nothing will make him quit. JBL says prove it. He challenges Haas to an “I QUIT” match at the Royal Rumble and when he wins he wants Haas out of WWE for good. Haas agrees. In the back Shawn grabs Haas and tells him to wake up. He wants to entertain the fans and be funny, well he won’t have a job after the Rumble if he doesn’t get serious. He smacks Haas around and Haas finally snaps and shoves Michaels up against a wall. Michaels says that is what he wants to see. Over the next month, Haas trains with HBK working on all different submissions. He beats Mike Knox on Raw with the Haas of Pain, taps out Santino with Michaels’s inverted Figure 4, and makes Manu tap to a Crippler Crossface.

At the Royal Rumble, after a vicious brawl, JBL goes for CfH but Haas ducks and cinches in the HAAS of PAIN. After almost 2 minutes JBL screams, YES!!!! and Haas wins the match. Michaels comes in and celebrates with him.

2 months of slow steady rebuilding gets Haas the biggest win of his career over someone in JBL who has main event credibility while also having so much heat that the fans would be into Haas by default. Once doing that, Shawn will continually mentor Haas, pushing him towards his early career goal of the IC Title leading to Wrestlemania XXV where Haas goes over William Regal to win his first IC Title. Post Wrestlemania, Haas can defend the title against a variety of heels before turning on HBK and leading to a summer program between Haas and Michaels in the classic Mentor/Mentee feud.

Will any of this happen? Probably not, as the WWE seems to have rebuilt their glass ceiling, only occasionally allowing someone new to get a top role (Kennedy, MVP, Jeff, CM Punk) and even then it is usually short lived. I think it would great for them to put some thought and booking into a wrestler who has been there for awhile who is currently playing a character that has finally gotten some positive feedback from the crowd.

Next week, it the very first Brooklyn Brawlin’ DVD Review as I answer the question: Is a DVD put out by TNA, the greatest wrestling DVD ever? Till then, as always, have fun storming the castle!